Category: Opinion

There seems to be a presumptuous triumphalism affecting-rather, infecting-the Western church, especially in America. This attitude, based on poor theology and ignorance of history, causes believers either to be unaware of or to deny outright the existing crisis regarding the future of Christianity in the face of jihadist Islam.

Proof texts such as “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” are thrown about as we seek to convince ourselves that America is immune to the persecution already prevailing against Christian brothers and sisters around the world because of Islam. We forget that there are many, many places (such as Turkey) where Christianity once flourished but where today Islam exerts total control.

Yonatan Eldar was barely 16 years old, but he chanted from the Torah (the biblical scrolls) beautifully on that Sabbath day in March, in the ancient melodic tradition that so many religious Jews continue to this day. I remember seeing his smiling face beaming with pride as the older congregants congratulated him warmly.

The Eldar family lives around the corner from us in Shiloh, Israel, on a street that could be called Terror Victims’ Row due to the high concentration of child terror victims who lived there.

Many Christians have a love for Israel and are eager to visit the nation. But often their dreams don’t stretch beyond touring the sites that have biblical significance for both Jews and Christians and perhaps taking photographs of them. However, there are numerous ways visitors can be a blessing to Israel, interact with the people and leave something of themselves behind when they travel there. Here are 10 of them.

While I was in Israel in late March, I took time away from my tour schedule to visit Hadassah Medical Center. I’m glad I did. Hadassah was founded in 1918 and is the second largest employer in Jerusalem. But what impressed me the most were the stories I heard about the hospital long before I arrived in Israel.

Fifty days after leaving Egypt, the Israelites gathered at Mt. Sinai to hear God proclaim the Torah or Law to them. The sight was awesome and provoked considerable fear in the hearts of all those gathered there, so much so that they asked Moses to speak with God on their behalf (Exodus 19:10-25; 20:18-21).

The lessons for us are clear:

The four men arrested Wednesday for allegedly plotting to bomb a Jewish community center and a synagogue in Bronx, New York, have been charged with “conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States” and “conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles,” CNN reported.

According to a criminal complaint filed in White Plains, New York, U.S. citizen David Williams, James Cromitie, Onta Williams, and Laguerre Payen from Haiti, met with an undercover FBI informant to get what they thought were actual weapons. The men alledgedly planned to blow up two Jewish facilities and use surface-to-air missles to shoot down U.S. military planes.

What if it were possible to travel back in time to ancient Jerusalem, where Jesus made His triumphal entry into the city? Or to take Holy Communion in the Garden Tomb where Christ was once buried? For many Christians, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is only a dream.

But it doesn’t have to be! With the economy forcing some airline companies to lower prices, consumers like you and me are reaping the benefits.

I thought we would retrace the footsteps of Moses to Mt. Sinai. Instead, God molded 14 men from all walks … Read More

On our calendar May 14 is the date of Israel’s independence. The Israelis celebrate their Independence Day on the 5th day of their … Read More

Continuing his week-long pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday called for a “sovereign Palestinian homeland” and identified with Palestinian “suffering” during a one-day visit to Bethlehem and other parts of the West Bank.

The pontiff stood alongside Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as he delivered his strongest public support yet for Palestinian statehood.

“Mr. President, the Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within internationally recognized borders,” the pontiff said. “I know how much you have suffered and continue to suffer as a result of the turmoil that has afflicted this land for decades,” he added.

In an effort to help Internet users discover Israel’s holy places and modern sites, the Consulate General of Israel in New York has released a Facebook application of the Holy Land.

Holy Land Trivia: From Creation to Creativity, offers a pictorial encounter with many significant places in Israel, and gives users the opportunity to share newly-gained knowledge with Facebook friends.

The application, designed to appeal to users of all backgrounds and especially to Christians, contains three multiple-choice quizzes about different locations of interest throughout Israel. The questions cover knowledge on holy sites in Israel, modern Israel, and a combination of the two.

I love Jerusalem! I love it because it’s a beautiful city and because it is where Messiah taught, laid down His life for the sins of mankind, and was resurrected, triumphing over death. It is the city of the great kings David and Solomon, and the place where the prophets and other great Bible heroes came to worship God in the temple.

From a human perspective, Jerusalem would not rank as one of the world’s most important cities. Even when biblical history was being written in Jerusalem’s streets, the city was not as significant as Alexandria, Rome or Athens.

Still, 3,000 years after King David’s reign, most of the world’s population believes that Jerusalem is the most important city on earth. There is only one possible reason: It is important to God and to His plans for the last days.

As the state of Israel recognizes Independence Day this month, Israelis around the world pause to celebrate 61 years of … Read More

British Midland Airways Limited (BMI) reportedly omitted Israel from in-flight charts on flights bound for the Holy Land, according toTimes … Read More

Vowing that it will “never forget,” a California church is today unveiling an interactive exhibit honoring the 6 million Jews who died during the Holocaust.

Built by Cornerstone Church in Fresno, the Holocaust Experience will guide visitors through scenes of 12 major events that took place between 1933 and 1945. The scenes span from the rise of Adolf Hitler to Kristallnacht, or “the Night of Broken Glass,” when nearly 1,000 synagogues were set on fire across Germany, to Hitler’s decision to execute genocide as “the final solution to the Jewish question.”

The exhibit, which will be on display until Sunday, is housed in the church’s 10,000-square-foot educational facility and cost nearly $10,000 to build.

My trip to Israel took me to many interesting and fascinating places. On the second day of my travels, I toured Caesarea, an ancient port built by King Herod. There I saw ruins of an ancient vomitoruim (my tour guide, Tison Ben David, explains the meaning of the name in the clip) and a reconstructed Roman theater. When biblical history meets archeology, the Bible truly comes to life.

The Israel Project (TIP) will begin airing a television ad campaign that focuses on the need to teach peace on both sides and to peacefully stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Three ads will air May 2-5 in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. By the end of the week, the commercials will have aired more than 600 times on CNN, CNN’s Headline News, Fox News and MSNBC.

“Today we celebrate Israeli Independence Day and it is a time to focus not only on the tremendous achievements but also on the ongoing threats to Israel’s existence and what can be done to move towards a better future,” commented Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder & President of The Israel Project. “I believe there is no question that teaching peace and tolerance to children as Israel does as an official part of their curriculums is paramount. I only hope that Palestinian leaders will adopt this model and stop teaching hate so that together we can work toward a common more peaceful future.”

The day before Holocaust Remembrance Day, Iran’s President Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations anti-racism conference in Geneva. Here, he did a great favor for all who love Israel—he was honest. He let his virulent hate for Israel and bizarre anti-Semitic conspiracy theories flow from his tongue largely unfiltered. It was an ugly performance.

The delegates from most European nations walked out on Ahmadinejad’s speech. Even UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, was moved to criticism. Most other delegates, of course, remained in their seats. Many cheered.

But Ahmadinejad is rarely so honest. And he is rarely so helpful. It is what this man does in the shadows—not what he says in public—that is most dangerous. And what he does in the dark typically gets far less attention.

Christians United for Israel (CUFI) is providing believers with the opportunity to place their prayers in the Western Wall without leaving home.

Prayers submitted to CUFI web site will be printed out, prayed over at the national office in San Antonio, sent to Jerusalem, and hand-delivered to the Western Wall.

Prayer is an integral part of CUFI, which prays daily for the peace of Jerusalem, the well being of the state of Israel, growth and development of Christians United for Israel and for those in authority, including those in governmental and spiritual positions. Personal prayer requests are also welcome.

In late March I took the trip of a lifetime. I spent seven days in Israel touring historic sites and ancient ruins that date back more than 2,000 years. I discovered the roots of my Christian faith and watched the Bible come to life.

My schedule was packed with many interesting places to see, including the Western Wall, the Garden Tomb and the Upper Room, where Jesus ate the Last Supper. I floated in the Dead Sea and toured the Valley of Jezreel, which overlooks the ancient city of Armageddon, the place of the final war mentioned in Revelation.

But I was haunted by my visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, located on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem. Without any warning, I found myself in tears.